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Prime Minister Barrow Sworn In For History 3rd Term
The UDP won a comfortable 19 to 11 victory in yesterday's general election - with one area, Stann Creek west still being recounted at this hour. That gives THE UDP party a historic third successive term - and it has left the opposition PUP in disarray, again losing ground in the number of seats held, when all political logic dictates, they should be gaining. And so, with that Dean Barrow was sworn in for a third term this afternoon at Belize House in Belmopan. Here's the oath of office as administered by the Governor General:.. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "I Dean Oliver Barrow, do swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Belize and will uphold the constitution and the law and that I will conscientiously, impartially and to the best of my ability discharge my duties as the Prime Minister of Belize and do right to all manner of people without fear, favor affection or ill will so help me God." Barrow becomes the first three-term Prime Minister in Belize's history.

Francis Fonseca Steps Down As PUP Party Leader
But tonight, the real hot news is not about Dean Barrow's third term; it's about PUP Leader Francis Fonseca's abrupt and unexpected announcement that he is stepping down as party leader. Fonseca made the announcement at an understated press briefing this afternoon in Belize City. His stark announcement stunned observers at party headquarters:... Hon. Francis Fonseca, Stepping Down "Ladies and gentlemen it has been my distinct honor and privilege to lead the People's United Party over the past 4 years. I think given the results of yesterday's elections, it is right and appropriate that I stand down as the leader of the People's United Party. I certainly want to thank the wonderful people of Freetown for their unwavering support for 4 consecutive general elections. I had been and continue to be humbled by their love and support. I am a very young man as Jules Vasquez knows, but this has been my last election. I am still in my 40s, but I think I will have to find another way to contribute to the development of Belize, Jules. I will of course serve out term working for the people of Freetown. But I do not intend to seek re-election." And so, just like that, Fonseca who just won the Freetown division by his largest margin yet and for a fourth term - is walking away from PUP leadership 4 years after he took up the post, and electoral politics 12 years after he won his first election. He says that it wasn't a spontaneous decision - he decided much before the election that if the PUP lost he would step aside.

Fonseca Will Try To Oversee An Orderly Transition
And that "difficult time in its history" refers to the PUP's historic losing streak. The party has not won a major election since 2003 - and has lost 9 major national elections in a row since then. After coming close in 2012 when the party came within 61 votes of forming the government, the PUP has lost ground, going from 14 seats in the House of Representatives, to 12, and now to 11. So, Belize's grand old party is at a fragile juncture - and Fonseca's decision to step down unleashes all sorts of volatile energies - as various aspirants will jostle for leadership. It could further fracture an already divided party and Fonseca told the press today that he will try and manage an orderly transition:... Hon. Francis Fonseca "I certainly want to make sure that there is an orderly and smooth transition. So I will advise the chairman of the party to ensure that we put in place a structure to ensure that that smooth transition takes place over the next few weeks. Ultimately that process will end with the holding of a special convention at which there is the election of the new leader of the People's United Party."

PM Barrow Thanks The Electorate
And while the PUP is going through more upheaval - which has been fairly continuous in that party since 2004 - the UDP is at its greatest strength in its 40 year history. Today at a press briefing the Prime Minister spoke expressed his thanks to the electorate who gave the UDP 19 seats, and the majority of the popular vote:... Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "I want to begin by sincerely thanking the people of Belize for re-electing the United Democratic Party. We were combating what we were told was voter fatigue. We were going against the conventional wisdom. We were going against history in trying to win a third consecutive term, so we were all under attack. The assault was perhaps most relentless in the case of Sedi Elrington and I am particularly glad that he prevailed."

What's The Plan For This 3rd Term
And so now, the UDP has to prove itself for a third term, after a very strong, very short second term where the party's political fortunes were bolstered by Petrocaribe spending. The Prime Minister outlined the mission ahead for his party:... Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "We are ready to give it our all one more time. We are strengthen now I think by this infusion of new blood, by way of the first time candidates that have won. I am satisfied that everybody, every single candidate in the UDP worked tremendously hard, tirelessly, indefatigable and I therefore am content to know that those that won will bring this same level of unflagging energy to their service to the people of this country as members of the cabinet, whether they are full ministers or ministers of state. I say finally, to the people of Belize, we are ecstatic at your vote of confidence. We are also of course very mindful of the tremendous responsibility that comes along with that. We know that the burden of expectations will perhaps be even more crushing this time. But we assure you that we will do our absolute best to deliver comprehensively and to serve all the people of this country."

PUP Concedes Defeat Graciously
And today the Leader of the Opposition did the opposite of what he did in the aftermath of the close election of 2012. That time, he didn't accept the result, as his party took election petitions to court. But today, he was gracious in defeat:.. Hon. Francis Fonseca "We in the People's United Party always respect the will of the people. So the Belizean people have spoken. We congratulate the United Democratic Party. We congratulate Prime Minister Barrow. I have spoken to him personally. He and I had a very cordial conversation this morning and I express to him congratulations on behalf of the People's United Party, both to his party and to him personally, on a very clear and national victory for the United Democratic Party. The elections are over and as I said to Prime Minister Barrow this morning, we must begin the healing process and we must work together in the interest of the Belizean people."

PM Barrow Congratulated Fonseca On His Re-election
And now that Francis Fonseca has been politically defanged, seems the Prime Minister and him are getting along well as text buddies too. Today The PM congratulated the PUP and spoke warmly of Fonseca:.. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "I want to also congratulate the candidates of the People's United Party. We once more had an election that was in the main peaceful, that again showcased to tremendous advantage our Belizean democracy. The People's United Party is one of the two principal partners in this democratic enterprise and certainly they fought a tremendous fight. I single out their leader the Hon. Francis Fonseca, I will tell him, I thought we had him. I though Carla had it and I was willing to give odds, but I did point out to at least one member of the media I am not a betting man and obviously I know why. My point was that we were under our own pressures, so was the leader of the opposition. He had lost two bi-elections and the municipal election. He was under strain. He kept his party together and he won in the Freetown constituency. So I must salute him and offer my congratulations. I will tell you that in the highest tradition he sent me a text message of congratulations this morning and I was very happy to able to reciprocate."

Only 12 Elected UDP Can Become Cabinet Ministers
And while there was room for political pleasantries today, the Prime Minister has got a tough few days ahead of him. He has to appoint a Cabinet and the constitution says that only two thirds of his elected 19 representatives can be in the cabinet. That's 12 ministers - meaning that 7 elected representatives and their supporters will be let down. Today, the Prime Minister explained how he will approach the appointment of his third cabinet: Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "In the circumstances I say from now I will speak with each of our winners individually over the course of the weekend, but it is quite clear that in terms of the current advice on the law, only 12 of the 19 can become full ministers. There are returning ministers. There are people with a huge degree of seniority. All that will have to be taken into account. We do want to encourage and reward the new comers that have done so splendidly, that have done so well - that have won. But only 12 persons can become full ministers. You will need to begin to wrap your head around that from now and to understand what that means, in terms of the practicality of things."

Will PM Change Ministers Of Health and Foreign Affairs?
And as the Prime Minister appoints that new cabinet, will he change his most publicly embattled ministers: Wilfred Elrington in Foreign Affairs and Pablo Marin, in health? That's what we asked him today:... Jules Vasquez "Is there key changes and specifically might these changes involve two of the most publicized and criticized ministries or ministers; the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Health?" Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "They both won their seats, didn't they?" Jules Vasquez "Politics isn't everything." Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "It's the only thing when it comes to choosing a cabinet. No, Jules, I can't get into that. As I told you I will have enough difficulty having to deal with the fact that only 12 persons can become full ministers. If I started to speculate on who the 12 would be, that would be grossly unfair to the wining candidates and would begin my headaches fully 2-3 days before the need to start. Let me try to recover from the post-election fatigue before I tackle that particular issue and as I said in any event, as a matter of respect and courtesy and what is right, I have to sit with my people first before coming to any final decision."

Not Another Early Elections This Time Around
PM Barrow says all 7 elected UDP representatives who cannot be made full minister will be made into Ministers of State. And so, with that, Prime Minister Barrow prepares to embark on his third and final term. That's the term limit in the constitution - and it means that this third term will not be shortened like the others - because there has to be a transition. It's never happened before and the PM told us what will happen as he nears the end of this term:.. Jules Vasquez "Do you feel this is an important transition and are you concern about losing command and control of your party which is really a big part of your success, this maximum leadership?" Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "Well the constitution says that nobody can be prime minister for more than 3 terms. It never said two terms and a half or two terms and three quarters and as long as God gives me health and strength there ain't going to be anymore early elections. We will have to manage the transition and we are really getting way ahead of ourselves. But we will have to manage the transition so that at the last possible moment, that will not disadvantage my successor, I would expect to resign so that in fact whoever the party chooses as my successor can become prime minister at least for a number of months and take the party into the next general elections as prime minister."

Stann Creek West Still Undecided
Right now, the Constituency of Stann Creek West is caught in limbo. They don't know who's their area representative. And, because the race is so close between the UDP's Walter Garbutt, and the PUP's Rodwell Ferguson, this division's election outcome will be decided in court. As we reported during our election coverage last night, the UDP's Walter Garbutt was declared as the winner. Shortly after that, the results were disputed on the premise that the returning officer, Victor Paulino, had omitted the results of 2 boxes from the grand total of votes. When those were factored in, the new declaration was that the PUP incumbent Rodwell Ferguson had won by 8 votes. Garbutt called for a recount which started this afternoon in Dangriga Town under the watch of party officials and attorneys from both mass parties. Since then, the situation has been complicated further by the discovery that votes which passed scrutiny as valid, ended up rejected in this recount, and votes which were rejected, have now been passed. As of half hour ago, the ballots from last 2 of the 19 boxes were being counted, and that result should come out during this newscast.

OAS Observers Impressed; Offers Suggestions For Improvement
And while the outcome in Stann Creek West is still clouded, what does the OAS observers' team think about the way the election was conducted? Was it free and fair? They shared their preliminary findings with the press today. From the opening of the polls until the official results were tabulated, 13 observers visited 162 of the 225 polling stations country wide. They managed to cover 30 of the 31 constituencies, and the Chief of Mission told us that they were impressed by the peaceful and efficient nature of entire process: Jacinth Henry-Martin, Chief of Mission - OAS "What I can say is that the peaceful processes really, these were something that we were commenting on at all times - that the people of Belize appeared to want to want to uphold the longstanding tradition of peaceful elections and their actions and the manner in which they conducted themselves I think that was evidence of that. I also want to say that the work of the electoral and boundaries commission, we interacted with them very often - they seem very well prepared. It is our view that the administrative processes worked well. On the actual day of election everyone seemed to be very okay with the processes and what needed to be done and after the closing of the polls, there was a seamless advance into the counting system that I think should be highly commended as well and so I am not, since I don't have a rating system, I'm not going to rate, but I am going to say that Belizeans ought to be highly commended for the efficiency of the processes and the mechanisms that were in place."

The Pickstock Division Snapshot
On election day Channel 7 and KREM Television had our teams at various hotspot polling locations. Here in Belize City that meant closely monitoring the Pickstock Division which came down to a margin of 78 votes. The 3 candidates Wilfred Elrington for the UDP, Dr. Francis Smith for the PUP and Patrick Rogers for the BPP vied for the support of 3,537 registered voters, and in the end 67% of them cast a vote - more than the 61% who came out in 2012. We have that moment when Patrick Rogers exited the counting area to indicate to the awaiting press that Wilfred Elrington had won his 3rd term. Even though he only got 3.5% of the voters who did show up, he told us that he is not discouraged due to the large number of voters who stayed home. Here's how he explained it: Patrick Rogers, UDP Candidate - Pickstock "I had 94 for myself, 1016 for Dr. Francis Smith and Sedi Elrington with 1234." Daniel Ortiz "Is that the final count?" Patrick Rogers, UDP Candidate - Pickstock "It will be very close to that. It won't change much, because they are still doing some reconciliation, but those numbers will be pretty much to what it is. We are not disappointed. I said we couldn't be disappointed. We won in 5 weeks. Look what we did, we put 25 candidates together and at the end of it we knew that if we didn't get over 75% voter turnout, we wouldn't factor in. But we will factor in the next time around because the candidates that are serious will be working these divisions over the next election cycle."

Bze Rural Central Snapshot; Bev Cas' Moment Of Victory
Belize Rural Central was another very close race. That contest between PUP incumbent Dolores Balderamos Garcia and Beverly Castillo for the UDP was decided by only 58 votes! Last night when her victory was apparent, Castillo told Monica Bodden she was shaken during the counting:... Monica Bodden "Bev tell is about your victory today? How does it feel to be coming out here? I know you been doing your work. You told me today that you got this. Well do have it officially. Tell us how does that make you feel?" Beverly Castillo, BRC "Excited, exhilarating. I was trembling, I tell you the truth Monica, but we did it and thanks to the people of Belize Rural Central." Reporter "What are your plans now Miss Beverly?" Beverly Castillo, BRC "The plans are in the manifesto and Belize Rural Central deserves their fair share. Whatever happens we know that the UDP has won. We form the government and we are here to work for the people."

PM Discusses Election Twists
And while the UDP expected to roll over Balderamos Garcia, and were surprised to see the race come down so close, the real surprise of the night was Caribbean Shores where Mayor Darrell Bradley lost to Kareem Musa. The two term Mayor Bradley was one politician who could run on his record, but the newcomer Musa beat him by 56 votes. Today the PM said that one surprised him:... Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "We perhaps was more shock by the loss in Caribbean Shores I will tell you that quite frankly. I did not expect that with Darrell Bradley's absolutely outstanding record. I didn't see how that happened. I had been hearing reports that his opponent was gaining ground and various other things. But I simply thought in the end, that sort of record which is unequalled would have carried him through. So that was the biggest shock."

Former PUP Leader's Take On The Election Twists
The PUP Leader Francis Fonseca was also surprised by the storng showing in Caribbean Shores, while being equally surprised at how poorly the PUP performed in the north where they went from holding 5 of 8 seats, to now holding only 3 of 8. It's a quote stunning reversal and the PUP leader commented on it today:.. Hon. Francis Fonseca "Certainly of course surprised that we did not do better in the north. I really though some seats there we were counting on and depending on and all of our reports and analysis indicated that we would have won. We did not win. That is on concern to me. Here in the city, even though I've been getting positive reports about Kareem Musa, I felt it was an uphill struggle. So that was a major accomplishment, a major achievement, a major win. He is an impressive who fought very hard and that was certainly a great victory and of course many of our candidates here I certainly thought would have pulled it off. In Belize Rural Central - Dolores. I knew she was in a battle, because they were pouring millions and millions of dollars in Central. She came very close. But I certainly was a little surprise that she was not able to pull it off. Pickstock the same. I felt that we had Sedi Elrington on the ropes and I thought we would have been able to deliver that seat. I was counting on that seat, depending on that seat."

How Did Mayor Darrell Lose?
And so what's the story with Mayor Darrell Bradley? How did he lose to a newcomer - particularly considering that Santi Castillo won for the UDP in that same division by over almost 700 votes in 2012. It's a major reversal for a man with a proven track record, and when we saw the mayor at the Prime Minister's press conference today, we asked him about his campaign falling apart:... Jules Vasquez "There is obviously something wrong in your camp. Do you think that is partly to blame?" Darrell Bradley, Defeated in Caribbean Shores "Again at the present moment, it's the day after elections. We haven't really had enough rest and enough time to reflect in relation to where we slip down and what needs to be done in terms of any kind of correction if that is the case. I think the overall theme of your question is that yes, in terms of a campaign machinery, that's very critical that there is energy, that there is seamless execution especially in election day and we gain ground for significant parts of the day, but you could see the inching up especially at the close of the day and I think that was where we fell down."

A Recap Of the Cayo Election Battle Grounds
Earlier on, we showed you election day action in Pickstock and Belize Rural Central - two of the tightest seats. But Cayo was also a battleground. Courtney Weatherburne and cameraman Codie Noralez started off in one of the pivotal seats in the country: Cayo Central and also covered the grounds in Cayo North and Cayo Northeast. There was a spirited atmosphere dominating the Cayo divisions yesterday - here's how they looked. In terms of the final figures, In Cayo Central UDP Candidate Rene Montero garnered 3,299 votes while PUP Candidate Dan Silva got 3,036 votes. That is a very comfortable difference of 263 votes for Monetero. In Cayo North UDP candidate Omar Figueroa got 2,674 votes beating his opponent PUP Michel Chebat who got 2,515 votes. And in Cayo Northeast -although the UDP had a stronger presence - PUP candidate Orlando "Landy" Habet came out victorious. Habet got 2,217 votes while his UDP opponent John August got 2,145 votes.

Dr. Smith Discusses His Defeat In Pickstock
Earlier on in the newscast, we told you about the surprises in the election - mainly in Caribbean Shores and the North. But, a real surprise for most of those persons not living in the Pickstock division is that Wilfred Elrington held on as area representative. We asked his opponent - Dr. Francis Smith who has now lost to Elrington in two successive terms by the more or less the same margin - if this will force him into political retirement:...

Sedi Muses On His 2nd Re-election
And Elrington was more circumspect. He say those media personalities and activists who vilified him - they don't vote:... Hon. Wilfred Elrington "Actually the media doesn't vote and critics on the press don't vote. People who vote are the constituents and I minister to them very diligently. Although I am perhaps the minister who is most out of the country, I spent most time with my people, or one of the minister who spends the most time with the constituents and if you see the kind of work that we have done back there and the kind of benefits that we have for the people you'd be amazed." Jules Vasquez "Your opponent say and we have to voice it, your opponent say that you were spending like crazy in the last days and that is why they claimed you won." Hon. Wilfred Elrington "You will know Jules that I am a most frugal person. I don't even like to drive. I prefer to walk. I don't have a cell phone. I don't go to restaurants to eat. No, actually we get some funds through the government program and I spend all of it and then I had about 4 people who gave me contributions for this election."

The New Political Landscape
Earlier on we gave you the precise results for Cayo but how about the entire country? Well, we have the bigger picture for you now. We start off in the North with Corozal Bay: the UDP's Pablo Marin beat out the PUP's Gregorio "Papas" Garcia by 146 votes - almost identical to the 148 votes he beat him by in 2012. In Corozal North UDP Hugo Patt won that seat by 493 votes, better than the 199 he won by in 2012. Moving on to Corozal South East the PUP's Florencio Marin Jr. beat Evan Cowo by 164 votes. In 2012, he won by 412 votes. In Corozal South West UDP's Dr. Angel Campos upset the PUP's Ramiro Ramirez by a margin of 219 votes. In Orange Walk Central the PUP's Johnny Briceno got only 50.5% of the vote, but beat out his UDP opponent by over 600 votes. Notably the BPP had their best showing in this area where former UDP Mayor Phillip De la Fuente got 493 votes. Looking at Orange Walk North UDP power house Gaspar "Gapi" Vega beat Ramon "Munchi" Cerventes by 489 votes. In Orange Walk South PUP incumbent Jose Mai won by only 62 votes. In Orange Walk East, newcomer for the UDP Elodio Aragon won easily by 547 votes.

"Clear The Land" Weathered The Public Battering
And one politician whom we didn't ask about retirement is Edmond Castro. Despite also being battered in the press, he won easily over Major Lloyd Jones. His margin went down from 535 votes in the last election to 400 this time. How does he remain popular in the face of huge negative campaigns against him? He told us today:.. And which ministry would Castro want? We asked him..

Will Sedi Return After This Term In Office
And so now that he has won three terms, we asked Elrington if he has any plans on retiring like some of the elder statesmen of the UDP. Here's what he said:... Jules Vasquez "Will you continue in politics or are you thinking like Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Martinez, and Mr. Dean Barrow?" Hon. Wilfred Elrington "I think it will be good for us to start thinking of a successor. I've been in politics running since 1993. I've finish a good career in private sector and a number of very good young people are coming up and I really think that it is right that they be given a chance. I do not rule out not running for a 4th term." Jules Vasquez "Do you rule it out?" Hon. Micheal Finnegan, Mesopotamia Area Representative "Why you want I retire?" Jules Vasquez "Would you advise Mr. Elrington to retire now while he is a ahead?"

Rodwell Ferguson emerges victor after Stann Creek West recount
Walter Garbut and Rodwell Ferguson were neck and neck in the elections in Stann Creek West. At the end of the counting of the ballots, the returning officer declared UDP Walter Garbutt the victor. However, he had to recant a little later upon the final counts when Ferguson won the final count by 8 votes. UDP's then demanded a recount which occurred today at Sacred Hearts School in Dangriga. After much deliberation, and arguments over newly rejected ballots, PUP's Ferguson emerged the winner after Garbutt conceded following that recount.

Prime Minister Dean Barrow Sworn In
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has done the unprecedented - led the United Democratic Party to a third consecutive term in office. He was sworn in by Governor-General Sir Colville Young [...]

P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca Steps Down
While the PM was taking the oath in Belmopan, in the city, there was stunning news coming from the Opposition and it is the end of an era for Francis [...]

New Leader Will Be Selected at a National Convention
According to Fonseca, his departure will create a vacuum in the leadership of the party that is expected to be filled via a national convention at a time that is [...]

Fonseca Says He Will Not Influence Choice of New Leader
Fonseca's decision to step down, according to him, was contingent upon the outcome of the general elections and that choice was made prior to November fourth.� When asked if he [...]

PM Barrow Salutes Fonseca
When he held his press conference this morning, U.D.P. leader Dean Barrow could not have known that just hours after, leader of the Opposition Francis Fonseca would announce his resignation, [...]

Barrow Says G.O.B. Spending Influenced Results of Elections
Any analysis of the election results where the U.D.P.'s success is concerned will be for the political pundits, but certainly perception is that the results were assisted generously by the [...]

PM Gives Credit for Queen Square Victory to Sister B
While Prime Minister can boast an unprecedented and historic third term for the United Democratic Party, he also has bragging rights in Queen Square where he has enjoyed tremendous success. [...]

Barrow Will Select His Cabinet This Weekend
Barrow says that all U.D.P. candidates who were not successful at the polls have messaged him claiming that they are not disheartened and will remain as caretakers in their respective [...]

Rodwell Ferguson is Stann Creek West Area Representative
At news time, a recount is ongoing in Stann Creek West. As the U.D.P. was being swept in office for a third term on Wednesday night, Walter Garbutt prematurely declared [...]

P.U.P. Gain 2 Seats in Belize City
In Belize City, where the disparity in the size of constituencies range from three thousand and eighty-four in Fort George to six thousand three hundred and five registered voters in [...]

Pablo Marin is Victorious in Corozal Bay
In Corozal Bay, Pablo Marin retained his seat in a hotly contested battle. Marin, who served as minister of health, has been battered by a number of scandals in that [...]

Hugo Patt Retains Corozal North Seat
Hugo Patt retained his seat in Corozal North by a margin of four hundred and ninety-three votes ahead of first time runner, David Castillo. On Election Day, the machineries were [...]

P.U.P. 2 - U.D.P. 2 in Orange Walk
When the final official results were released at around eleven Wednesday night, The P.U.P. held on to two seats in Orange Walk - Central and South. The U.D.P. wrested away [...]

P.U.P.'s Ramiro Ramirez Loses Corozal Southeast
Corozal South West and South East divisions were the last to bring in their results.� P.U.P.'s Ramiro Ramirez, lost the division to Doctor Angel Campos of the U.D.P. by two [...]

3 Seats for the U.D.P. in Cayo
All eyes were on the Cayo District where in 2012, the P.U.P. came within sixty votes of winning two divisions and general elections. On Wednesday night, Julius Espat easily beat [...]

O.A.S. Praises Belize for Peaceful Elections
An O.A.S. Electoral Observer Mission is wrapping up a visit to Belize. And this afternoon at the Biltmore Plaza, it issued a preliminary report in respect of Wednesday's elections. According [...]

Boots Wins by Narrow Margin in Port Loyola
Anthony 'Boots' Martinez help on to Port Loyola, and that area has been a U.D.P. stronghold. But the margin shows that Martinez has lost considerable ground. When the final ballot [...]

Darrell Bradley Reflects on Loss in Caribbean Shores
The Prime Minister has said that in all the results countrywide, he was most surprised by the results in Caribbean Shores, where Darrell Bradley was defeated by Kareem Musa. It's [...]